Story of looters and the looted

A Libyan fireman stands in front of smoke and flames rising from an oil storage tank at an oil facility in northern Libya's Ras Lanouf region on January 23, 2016, after it was set ablaze earlier in the week following attacks launched by Islamic State (IS) group jihadists to seize key port terminals.
Firefighters battled the blaze at the oil facility for a third day, an official said, after an assault by jihadists aiming to seize export terminals.
/ AFP PHOTO / STRINGER

THERE is something special about Zimbabwe that the West cannot resist.
It is rated the richest country per capita in the world in terms of mineral wealth, but before we go into detail, it is important to look at how the West destroyed some mineral and oil-rich countries in the world.
Iraq was following its own developmental path. The people had charted their own destiny, but came under siege from the US and its allies because of their wealth – oil.
The ‘robbers’ from the West did not rest until they brought Iraq to its knees, murdering Saddam Hussein and installing a puppet regime, now at their beck and call.
Saddam had to go because he was a ‘gate keeper’, not because he had chemical weapons as the West lied.
Libya also came under siege because of its oil which Colonel Muammar Gaddafi reserved for Libyans.
Western powers, like the US, France and others did not rest until they had murdered him.
They would call him by all names evil to justify killing him so they could loot and plunder the nation’s oil at will.
It has always been the story of the looters and the looted.
That is the political economy of the world although it may be called by different names at different times.
In 1890, whites came to loot and plunder the wealth of Zimbabwe.
Zimbabweans fought back.
In the First Chimurenga alone, the indigenes paid a heavy price as about 50 000 lives were lost.
Between 1890 and 1980, the looting and plunder continued, but Zimbabweans were still fighting, sacrificing everything to reclaim their heritage.
They succeeded and from 1980 Zimbabweans were their own masters.
Since then, the country has had the distinction of defining herself uniquely and for this, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Africa and the rest of the progressive world have saluted her.
I remember there was an outcry when the country took a decision to give veterans of the liberation struggle a ‘little something’ (ZW$50 000) to help them get a start in life after the war in which they sacrificed everything.
Zimbabwe did not relent — for how can you retain your honour when you do not remember those who laid down their lives for you.
It was once said it was foolish to have free education and free health care.
Pundits of capitalist economics cried out that there is nothing free in the world; but Zimbabweans were never capitalists in the first place.
However, there is something free in the world.
Lives were given freely so that others may live and no-one can ever pay for those lives given freely to liberate the country, notwithstanding that those who gave those lives never expected to be paid.
As long as she could, Zimbabwe struggled to console the children of Zimbabwe who, for 90 years, were underprivileged and downtrodden in the land of their forefathers.
Those who might have never gone to school did and those who might have died or become maimed survived because of free health care.
And so Zimbabwe marched on, following the footsteps of her destiny.
When the British and their friends would not honour their terms of surrender as embodied in the Lancaster House Agreement, people went ahead and took their land which had already been liberated with their own blood.
People are now enjoying the milk and honey from their land, which, for more than a century, was a preserve of the white foreigner.
It is now uhuru!
Thus Zimbabweans have been faithful custodians of their heritage.
However, this is not the end of the story.
The country still has untapped treasure.
It has critical minerals which are game changers on the world stage.
The country has an estimated 13 million tonnes of gold reserves which will take about 650 000 years to extract; the world’s largest diamond deposits estimated at three billion carats; and the highest reserves of chromium ore in the world at 930 million tonnes which will last at least 1 300 years.
The platinum reserves in the country are estimated at 2,8 billion tonnes and will last at least 1 200 years.
Other strategic resources include 30 billion tonnes of iron ore which will not be exhausted in the next 100 000 years; 26 billion tonnes of coal, easily the largest coal deposits in the world; 27 trillion cubic feet of methane gas, perhaps the largest in the region and many other minerals (67 discovered minerals). Zimbabwe is rated the richest country per capita in terms of mineral wealth.
It was not by chance or mistake that Musikavanhu made Zimbabweans custodians of such untold riches.
Musikavanhu was not careless, He was wise.
That is why Mbuya Nehanda and compatriots rose to defend their heritage in the First Chimurenga, wiping out half of the brutal foreigners despite the harsh military odds stacked against them.
It was a fight to the finish.
They had to get rid of the white menace.
In the end, there was no option — the indigenes retreated strategically because they were facing total annihilation.
This is the calibre of people Musikavanhu chose to be the custodians of this great beautiful and rich country.
Thus from 1963 to 1979, heirs to this great heritage waged a war against the white menace until they reclaimed their heritage, Zimbabwe.
Zimbabweans have always been worthy custodians and stewards of this magnificent heritage.
They have not let Musikavanhu down.
As we go to the polls, at each stage of the electoral process, we still trust that, Zimbabweans will demonstrate that Musikavanhu is wise in entrusting such a precious heritage to the family of Zimbabwe.
These lessons from our history and that of others should sharpen our spears never to miss the mark in selecting for Zimbabwe and its family the greatest custodians, those who will never forget that Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans.